Nick Sikkuark at 259 Lake Shore Blvd E

Sikkuark’s drawings and sculptures illustrate the entanglements between the natural and the supernatural worlds. Sikkuark was Netsilik (the people of the seal) and Born on the land near Garry Lake. He worked primarily in sculpture until 2003, after which his practice shifted to drawing. His uncanny works oscillate between the natural and the supernatural. In his sculptures, everything is in motion—carved spirits fly, jump, and dance; whale hunters face their prey; and snow worms with affable faces balance delicately on their tails.

In his drawings, faces and bodies emerge from multicoloured patterns that are evocative of lichen or electrical currents. Much like Sikkuark’s sculptures, his drawings feature people and things in motion—shamans zip through the air, leaving trails of cosmic dust; drops of what initially look like water or snow are eyes. Sikkuark was intrigued by perception, which is evident in his representations of the supernatural as well as the push and pull of perspectival space. In many of his drawings, the foreground and background are interchangeable, affecting how and what you see.